State

Former University of New Mexico cross country and track & field standout Courtney Frerichs claimed a pair of Mountain West awards on Wednesday as the conference named her Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.
Frerichs, a native of Nixa, Missouri, had a stellar 2015-16 campaign in cross country and track & field for the Lobos, guiding the UNM women’s cross country team to its first national title last November before winning the NCAA title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in record time in June.
She also shined in the classroom, compiling a 4.16 GPA and MW Academic All-Conference and MW Scholar-Athlete honors as she pursued a master’s degree in community health organization.
While at UNM, Frerichs ran to two national titles in one year, winning a team title and an individual title as a Lobo.
She helped the UNM women’s cross country to its first national title in November, taking fourth place overall as the highest finisher in program history.
After sitting out the indoor season, Frerichs continued to shine outdoors, twice running under 9:30 in the steeplechase before capping her collegiate career by setting the NCAA record at the NCAA Championships.

A pair of senior defensive leaders, linebacker Dakota Cox and defensive lineman Nik D’Avanzo, were named preseason All-Mountain West in a vote by members of the league’s media. It marked the fourth time in Bob Davie’s five seasons at the University of New Mexico that he has had a pair of players on the preseason list.
However, it’s a little different as UNM has two defensive players selected for the first time since the 2010 season when Carmen Messina and Jonathan Rainey were both named to the team. While both Cox and D’Avanzo are seniors, neither have redshirted in their careers.
Only San Diego State has more players on the defensive side, with three. Cox is looking to become the first player in school history to lead the team in tackles in all four of his seasons. Both Cox and D’Avanzo were named honorable mention All-MW last year in a vote of the league’s coaches.

ALBUQUERQUE — The University of New Mexico baseball team (36-21) earned a victory in the first game of the Mountain West Conference Championship Thursday, defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack (34-23), 3-0.
The Lobos received a career-best pitching performance from senior left-hander Colton Thomson (7-3), as he threw his first-ever complete game, a three-hit shutout over the Wolf Pack. He collected a career-high tying 11 strikeouts and walked one. His 122 total pitches thrown marked the most in his Lobo career.

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A day after a riot erupted outside a Donald Trump rally, Albuquerque officials blamed the downtown melee not on impassioned politics but on an unruly group intent on creating chaos in a city that has seen more than its share of violence.
Some participants openly admitted that they set out to cause disruption. Many in the crowd were seen with gang tattoos and at one point chanted to Trump supporters that they controlled the streets.
“I woke up all hung over and stuff,” said Chelsea Rae Gray, a 24-year-old musician. “And then I said, ‘Let’s see what kind of chaos we can get into.’” She said she came to the protest in her pajamas and stole some Trump T-shirts from vendors during the confusion.
“Then I burned them,” she said.
Cleanup crews spent Wednesday clearing away broken glass and charred debris in the largest city in the nation’s largest Hispanic state. The mayor and police were tallying up the damage that spread to several blocks near historic Route 66.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was fair using crank baits, tubes, minnows, and bottom bouncer night crawler rigs for walleye. Fishing was fair to good using tubes, craws, jerk baits and crank baits for smallmouth bass. Fishing for brown trout was slow but there were a few caught by anglers trolling crank baits.
Animas River: Water flow near Aztec on Monday morning was 2,720 cfs.
Bluewater Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using PowerBait, worms under a bobber and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing was fair trolling jointed Rapalas for tiger musky. Fishing for catfish was slow. The surface water temp was in the high 50s.
Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 1,520 cfs and 1,170 cfs respectively. Trout fishing was slow.
Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, Panther Martin spinners, Arnie’s and Platte River specials for rainbow trout and kokanee. Fishing was fair using worms for perch.
El Vado Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Fenton Lake: Fishing through this past Saturday was rated as excellent but tapered off some on Sunday. Anglers did very well using black wooly buggers, olive Pistol Petes, Kastmasters, small Tennessee shad crank baits, PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs for trout.

After battling for postseason bids since early April, a handful of Lobos are just one meet away from the NCAA Championships.
The University of New Mexico track and field team is aiming for the national championships as it sends 20 individuals and a relay team to the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Championships competition this week.
The Lobos are searching for top-12 finishes in their respective events during the three-day meet at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, which would advance a competitor to next month’s NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
“The goal is to put yourself in a position to where you can qualify on to Eugene,” New Mexico head coach Joe Franklin said. “It’s not about winning the event, it’s about being in the top 12 and making sure you have a chance.”
The Lobos heading to Kansas are some of the best, with many from this year’s group are making a repeat appearance.
Out of the 11 women, nine men and the men’s relay team (a total of 22 athletes), 12 Lobos are back at the regionals, with a few eyeing another bid to the finals of the NCAA Championships.
For the 16th-ranked women’s team, six Lobos head into the meet with top-10 seeds, including four top-two seeds in the distance events.

The Lobos scored in each of the first four innings and UNM jumped out to an 11-0 lead on the way to a convincing 11-2 victory over Air Force Saturday, giving UNM the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament, hosted by New Mexico May 25-29 at Santa Ana Star Field.
The win was great for UNM in that the Lobos got a great starting pitching performance from Carson Schneider, who bounced out of a small slump with six solid innings, allowing two runs and just five hits, striking out two. It wasn’t so great in the ninth inning when Jared Holley, trying to beat out a double play, hurt his right leg in an injury that looked completely different from his quad injury earlier in the season. Holley had to be carried off the field by both trainers.
UNM got on the board in the first inning when Carl Stajduhar turned on a pitch and hammered it over the fence in left for a long solo home run. After getting a second run in the second inning on a double play grounder, the Lobos scored three times in the third and the fourth.
In the third, with two on, Jack Zoellner obliterated a Nick Biancalana fastball for a three-run home run that nearly made it to the football practice field beyond the right field fence. In the fourth, Luis Gonzalez doubled home a pair of runs and then scored on a Staduhar ground out.

The Angel Fire Bike Park recently announced that it will be hosting a new downhill mountain bike racing series this summer.
Angel Fire Bike Park’s Fire 5, presented by Schwalbe, is a premier downhill race series in the Rocky Mountains. A series of five unique downhill races will take place at Angel Fire Bike Park throughout the bike season. Amateurs and pro riders are invited to race in one or all five races. Registration for the first race, which will be held May 29, is open now.
“We created the new Fire 5 racing series here at Angel Fire Bike Park because we wanted to offer racers a better experience with a legit series,” Angel Fire Bike Park director Hogan Koesis said.
“Since the Mountain States cup dissolved a few years ago, we feel that downhill racing in the Rockies has been underserved and underrepresented. Angel Fire has always had a rich racing culture with proper tracks. We believe that by offering some cash, amazing products from our sponsors and a five-race series, that we can grow racing back to where it once was.”
The five races will take place May 29, July 16, Aug. 3, Sept. 4 and Oct. 8.
There will be pro, open and junior categories for men and women.
Over $20,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded for each race and overall series winners.

SANTA FE — Spring is in the air, and as people and wildlife become more active outdoors the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is encouraging everyone to be aware of the potential of encountering bears and other native wildlife.
Young bears are emerging from hibernation and will be foraging and seeking territory to call their own, said Rick Winslow, the department’s bear and cougar biologist. Sows with cubs will follow later in May.
Those living in urban-wildland interface areas such as the foothills around Santa Fe or Albuquerque may have a greater chance of encountering bears, Winslow said.
If a bear exhibits aggressive or strange behavior, people are encouraged to call the department and report it.
Bears that appear to be moving through the country should be left alone – no need to report them.
If you visit or live in bear country:
• Keep garbage in airtight containers inside your garage or storage area.
Place garbage outside in the morning just before pickup, not the night before.
Occasionally clean cans with ammonia or bleach.
• Remove bird feeders. Bears see them as sweet treats, and often they will look for other food sources nearby.
• Never put meat or sweet-smelling food scraps such as melon in your compost pile.

SANTA FE — Springtime marks the beginning of a new April 1-March 31 “license year” for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish each season – and it’s always a good time to bring hunters and anglers up to date on any rule changes. This year, some of those changes are significant:
• Military discounts: Starting this year, New Mexico residents who are active-duty military or veterans will receive 50 percent discounts on all licenses, permits and stamps. Documentation is not required at the time of purchase, but may be requested later.
• OK on bow fishing: Bow fishing now is a legal means to take game fish in reservoirs and lakes that are open to fishing.
It is not allowed in special trout waters, rivers or streams. Fishing with crossbows is not permitted.
Prior to going out, be sure to confirm that local ordinances or laws allow for the use of bows.
• Bear and cougar pelt tagging: The pelts of all harvested bears and cougars must be accompanied by a license and properly tagged by a Department of Game and Fish conservation officer or staff at an area office.
Beginning this year, hunters who appoint a designee to present their bear or cougar hide for tagging must first report the harvest to a conservation officer themselves.